Death by Fecal Impaction

The Times-Standard reported another wrongful death lawsuit against a Brius Healthcare Services-owned nursing home Granada Rehabilitation and Wellness Center. The lawsuit involves the neglect of a resident which caused a build-up of fecal matter in her digestive tract so large that it resembled an “eight-month pregnant uterus” by the time it was removed in April 2017. The nursing home failed to monitor dementia patient Jeannette Sharp’s bowel movements as was directed in her care plan or failed to notify a physician about her lack of bowel movements.

“The operating physicians captured 3-4 liters of fecal matter from Ms. Sharp’s colon with more spilling into her abdominal cavity,” court documents state. “Because of the severity of her fecal impaction, Mrs. Sharp died shortly after the surgery.” The lawsuit stated the buildup of fecal matter occurred over a period of months and eventually blocked the exit from Sharp’s stomach.

“Jeannette was in excruciating pain yet was not provided pain relief,” Janssen Malloy’s first amended complaint states. “No one gave Ms. Sharp an enema or checked to see why her stomach was distended.”

This is a great example of how mismanagement and “related party transactions” affect the quality of care for nursing home residents. Granada Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, Granada’s administrator Alice Brasier, Brius Healthcare Services, Brius’ related administrative company Rockport Healthcare Services, Brius CEO Shlomo Rechnitz and other companies associated with Rechnitz are named as defendants in the lawsuit, according to court documents.

Two other wrongful death lawsuits against Brius Healthcare Services claim understaffing at two Eureka nursing homes led to the deaths of two patients, Ralph Sorensen and Randy Kruger, after they developed severe ulcers. A third wrongful death lawsuit filed allege staff abandoned a blind, mentally ill patient Alan Dewey at a Eureka hotel without notifying his family was settled in July 2017.